Queen Anne's Lace as an Herb

(Daucus carota)

Queen Anne's Lace was introduced from Europe, and the carrots that we eat today were once cultivated from this plant.

Queen Anne's Lace, also called "Wild Carrot," is a common plant in dry fields, ditches, and open areas.

Water Hemlock, similar in appearance, is deadly to eat and people have died eating what they thought was Queen Anne's Lace when in fact it was Water hemlock. One key identifying characteristic, is a hairy stem; Queen Anne has hairy legs.

Since Queen Anne's Lace was introduced to this America, many people consider it an invasive weed.

Medicinal Uses for Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace is used for treating gallstones and kidney stones, chronic kidney diseases, afflictions of the bladder, dropsy, as well as water retention, strains and sprains.

An infusion is made from 1 ounce of the herb in a pint of boiling water and taken in wineglassful doses. Carrot tea, taken night and morning, and brewed in this manner, is considered excellent for gout. A strong decoction is very useful against flatulence.

Women have used the seeds from queen anne's lace as a contraceptive for centuries. The earliest written reference dates back to the late 4th or 5th century B.C. appearing in a work written by Hippocrates. This is an area outside the scope of this site; however, a search in your favorite search engine can tell you exactly how women use this method.

Culinary

People can eat the large taproot, which of course, is a carrot. However, the leaves of the plant are toxic, and may irritate the skin.

Cautions

Do not attempt to eat Queen Anne's Lace unless you have a positive identification from an expert!

The leaves can be a skin irritant.

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DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Some plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals. Some plants used for illness in the past have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.